Norwegian and Cabled sweaters finished

I finished the work on these sweaters well before the TNNA show. I was so busy getting things ready that I forgot to take pictures of them though. These are pictures of them in the display at the show.

Pattern: #138RS Man's Norwegian Sweater Black and White with Stars on the left of the two hanging sweaters.
Yarn: Strikkegarn


Pattern: Children's Cabled Sweater-Red between the white pieces.
Yarn: Vamsegarn

TNNA 2009

I know it is a little late but I thought I should at least post some pictures of The National Needle Arts Association's annual trade show. I took these pictures on the day we set things up. Some things are not quite finished and the lighting was not the best but you can see everything I think. Cameras were not allowed on the floor during the show.

We took lots of new models! The black and white baby dress on the front corner of our booth got a lot of second looks. The shawls were popular too.

We stayed in the Drury Hotel attached to the convention center. It was beautiful hotel and very comfortable.

Here is some of the view out our 7th floor window. There were some very tall buildings. And one shorter one with these beautiful windows. We kept wondering what it was until we walked by it one day and found that it was a realty office.

Cabled sweater for kids

Another sample for the trade show. This one is only a size 2 children's sweater. It is going quickly in Vamsegarn, a worsted weight yarn. Good thing, we leave in one week for the show and this is supposed to be in the display! I have the body done and one sleeve started now but haven't been able to get photos yet.

I had some problems along the way. No, make that lots of problems along the way. Probably because I am trying to get this done quickly. After doing seed stitch for so long on the Window Pane sweater I totally missed the instructions where it said to do the side panels in double moss stitch. I had been working merrily along for about 3 inches above the ribbing when I discovered it! The second picture is of the side panel after I reknit it plus a couple more inches.

I decided that I really didn't want to reknit the whole thing so I took the stitches for that whole panel off the needles -- gasp! -- I know, I know, for some of you that would be a major trauma but the stitches weren't going anywhere . . . yet . . . this is very sticky yarn so the stitches would just sit and wait for me to do something with them.

Now, fast forward a bit. I managed to cross one of the cables the wrong direction later in the sweater. I was telling my hubby how I had to reknit the side panels and now I needed to do the same thing to this cable. He suggested that I take pictures so I could post a how-to about it.

I am working on the how-to. Red is really hard to photograph well by the way! So bear with me. It will be up soon I hope. In the meantime there is lots of preparation underway for the show.

Window Pane Sweater is done!

It is finished and ready to go to the show! I think I looks great. I will be a very warm sweater for my hubby next winter too.

Here are the details:
Rauma pattern 2064
Vamsegarn 1100grams of 5 different colors
Needles sizes 4 & 4.5 mm - US 6 & 7

I would usually use a larger needle with Vamsegarn This was all done as knit 1, purl 1 which is always a looser gauge for me than stockinette.

This is an easy sweater to make, it just looks harder than it is.

Sneak Peek

Do you like knee-hi socks? Cables, lace, ribs, stranded 2-color designs like the Norwegain star or even entrelac? You will love this book!

We are working on the translation and samples for a new book to be released at the TNNA trade show in June. Those who came to the Arnhild's Knitting Studio February retreat have already had a chance to see the book.

This is the 4th book in the LVS series. Bunad Strømper og Luer. Strømper is stocking and luer is hat. Bunad is the traditional national costumes of the different regions of Norway. There are 37 patterns in this book from all over Norway. Most are stockings but there are some interesting hats as well. And just so you know, most of these stockings say "Herre" which means they are for the men, not that we ladies will let that stop us from knitting them for ourselves!

The stocking I am making is #3 from Sogn. It has an all-over cable design. Click on the picture for a closer look if you like. This one is made with Rauma 2-ply Gammelserie.

The smaller ball in the top picture is a 1-ply Spælsaugarn from Rauma which we will be carrying. It will be used in the heels and toes along with the Gammelserie for reinforcement.

We will have lots of other new patterns available at the TNNA show too. I will have them for sale on my web site as soon after the show as I can.

The other LVS books and many other beautiful Norwegian patterns and yarns to go with them are all available at my web site www.denisesneedleworks.com

Window Pane Sweater

My current knitting is getting rather boring. I think it is because this is such a big project and is pretty much the same throughout.

This sweater went with me to Texas for spring break in March. There wasn't much to see along the way.

It is growing steadily and hopefully will be finished soon. I have taken it to all of the classes we have been teaching. The students all look over eagerly when I pull out my knitting to see what I am working on. Recently, the reaction has been, "Oh, you still aren't done with that one?"

Sorry, I am almost done with the back now -- but I have one more sleeve to go.

The pattern is Rauma 2064 Window Pane Sweater. The yarn is Vamsegarn, our worsted weight yarn. It will be on display at the TNNA trade show in Ohio the second week of June.

More Charity Knitting

I have several charity projects that I knit for.

There are

• prayer shawls for our church ministry,
  
• hats & mittens for the international families -- also part of our church ministry,
  
• hats for www.knit-a-cap.org,
• and recently I started making wool mittens for Macuwita-Sni (on Yahoo) (and here on Ravelry) a project for the Cheyenne River Sioux in South Dakota

The hat that I started on my way home from TNNA is one of these pictured. I had some made before the show and I have made others since then. These are really easy and fast to make. Some of them will go to the internationals and some will go to knit-a-cap.

The red mittens in my last post are planned for Macuwita-Sni, as are these red and blue stranded mittens. These have been a fun but frustrating exercise. I do not have a pattern to work from. I just thought I should add a simple stranded pattern to make them a little thicker and warmer. HA! The first mitten didn't work out too badly but trying to make the second one match was really a challenge! As my husband likes to remind me, "It's easy to make ONE of anything alike!"

I have ripped out many, many times! But I think I finally have it. Now to see if I can figure out what to do with the thumbs!!

TNNA Knitting

Of course I had to have some knitting to do while at a trade show that was focused on Needlearts!!

On the way to Ohio we were trying to finish up some of the display projects. I made several rosettes for the green Pillpi/Chiri hat/scarf/wristwarmers set that was displayed. We needed 20 rosettes so as we took turns driving we also took turns knitting them.

Then I started a pair of adult women's size socks in our new Magi sock yarn. These went with me each day so I could knit as I had the time while in the booth. It was also a great display item so people could see how this brown/gold colorway knits up. I would set it down next to the display of Magi when I wasn't working on it. Very pretty I might add!

Back in our room in the evening I started some plain wool mittens for a charity project. These also made for easy knitting to do on the way home in the car. I also started a charity hat on the way home and knit on it until it got too dark to see to do the decreases at the top. More on that later...





Need to get those last tails woven in on these mittens!